SHE dreams of being a nurse and contributing to the NHS. But now Glory Omoaka – originally from Nigeria and who now has leave to remain in the UK – has found her long-cherished plans threaten to come crashing down after being denied funding for her nursing training.
Meanwhile Olivia Ndoti from Zambia, also granted leave to remain in 2017, has also been refused funding from university funding body Scottish Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for her Glasgow University Community Development course.
Both women are calling for a review to funding guidelines that mean their studies are not funded because they were granted leave on human rights grounds, rather than refugee status.
Omoaka applied to study nursing at the University of the West of Scotland after doing an unfunded access course with the help of small charity contributions and a part-time job done around caring for her daughter.
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“I was so happy when I was accepted,” she said. “But then I got an email the same week telling me that I did not meet the criteria for funding I was devastated.”
To make things worse, she was assessed as a foreign student meaning she must find £15,000 for her studies. Before gaining status she had been living in a B&B, surviving on £50 per week. Her asylum claim was refused because, though she came to the UK seeking safety, she did not think she would be eligible and the delay in her application affected her claim.
“I had such a horrible experience but I had such determination and focus,” she said. “I want to contribute to society and this feels like a way I could make an impact. It’s just so frustrating. I am so worried about how I will support myself and my daughter. We are mothers and we don’t want to be on benefits. We want to do something for society that is fulfilling.”
Ndoti was granted status shortly after her son’s first birthday. Previously she was destitute for several years. Charity Positive Action in Housing housed her and her baby son through its Rooms for Refugees hosting scheme until Glasgow City Council later recognised its obligation to accommodate her.
Before her status was granted she studied community development at college, and with the support of her lecturer there, applied successfully to Glasgow University’s Community Development degree programme.
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“My heart just sank when funding was denied,” she said. “I had such a terrible struggle [while appealing for the right to remain in the UK] and what I want to do is to be able to support people who are also going through that struggle. I want to settle down in this country and contribute. This seems to go against the Scottish Government’s own integration policy. It is stopping people from bettering themselves.” She has since found funding from the Carnegie Trust but it may not cover the whole course and she must apply every year.
The women said they were aware of several other cases, with migrant-led campaign group Migrant Organising for Rights and Empowerment (MORE) supporting other struggling students. Earlier this year Ndoti approached political representatives who set up a meeting with SAAS and affected students to seek a way forward. But Ndoti and Omoaka claim they are still waiting.
David McGlashan, Ndoti’s lawyer, confirmed that he was currently working legal remedies to the issue. He said: “The regulations have been in place since before we had a Scottish Government. The way it’s handled at the moment works for someone with refugee status but not leave to remain that is not considered to be settled status. We are looking into it and hopefully it can be amended.”
A spokeswoman for SAAS said it was aware of the cases but claimed it could not comment directly on the circumstances “due to GDPR restrictions”.
“For students who are not UK or EU nationals, they must have ‘settled status’ but may still qualify depending on their circumstances,” she added. “Current student support regulations do not extend to those awarded leave to remain unless as the result of an asylum application.”
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